UK Fire Brigades Report 1,760 Battery Fires — Uk Lithium-ion Battery Fire Statistics
UK fire brigades tackled 1,760 fires linked to lithium-ion batteries in 2025, according to QBE, and that works out to about one every five hours. The uk lithium-ion battery fire statistics also show the tally reached 4.8 fires a day.
QBE gathered freedom of information responses from fire brigades across the UK, and the figures point to a fast-rising problem. The number of lithium-ion battery-linked fires in 2025 was up 147% over the past three years, while electric vehicle fires rose by 133% over the same period.
Spencer Sutcliff on ebike fires
Spencer Sutcliff, London Fire Brigade deputy commissioner for prevention, said the brigade remained “extremely concerned” about ebike and e-scooter fires. He added: “We believe regulation can help improve product safety and reduce the chance of consumers being exposed on online marketplaces to faulty or counterfeit products such as ebike batteries, chargers and conversion kits.”
QBE said ebike fires made up nearly a third of all lithium-ion battery fires nationally, with 520 callouts in 2025 compared with 149 in 2022. London Fire Brigade tackled 230 ebike fires in the capital, equal to 44% of the national total.
Homes, waste systems and Glasgow
Nearly half of all lithium-ion fires, 46%, took place in people’s homes, while incorrect disposal has led to serious fires in bin lorries and at recycling plants across the UK. QBE estimated the cost of fires caused by incorrect disposal at more than £1bn a year.
Adrian Simmonds, risk manager at QBE Insurance, said: “Thermal runaway caused by these types of batteries burns differently, takes much longer to tackle and can require up to 10 times more water to contain.” He also said: “Awareness of safe charging, storage and disposal is essential to keeping people and property safe. People should use only certified ebikes and batteries, charge them away from escape routes and avoid charging items overnight.”
QBE researchers collated data from 46 out of 52 fire brigades contacted across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Among the most serious incidents in the record, a blaze in Glasgow is believed to have started in a shop selling vapes, and Central station, Scotland’s largest rail interchange, closed for two weeks.
The figures leave fire brigades dealing with a hazard that is already widespread in homes, transport and waste systems, while the guidance from Sutcliff and Simmonds points readers to the practical step they can take now: use certified products, charge them safely and keep damaged or unwanted batteries out of ordinary bins.
